Many applications can be interacted with using a trackable controller that allows the application to sense the position and motion of the controller. Gaming controllers, remote controls for television and other media devices, styluses, and other controllers allow users to play games, select and change programming, manipulate and create content, and perform countless other functions using gestures made with the controller. As the number and kind of applications that can be controlled this way increases, so does the number and complexity of the motions used with the controllers, which can be frustrating for users. Conventional controllers use targets that can be tracked by cameras in the device being controlled or an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that can provide position information to the device being controlled. These controllers, which often include their own electronics, such as processors and selectable controls, can help provide some of this additional functionality, but also require their own power source. For example, changing the mode of a gaming controller from a steering mechanism to a weapon and back or changing a stylus from a content-creation mode (e.g., drawing a line or changing the color of the line) to an editing mode (e.g., for manipulating content by moving a line or object) can require a cumbersome process of entering commands on the controller or another device. Consequently, taking advantage of the flexibility and realism provided by trackable controllers can be inconvenient and frustrating, and we may not realize the full potential of our electronic devices and applications.